Slicing machine



Sept. 5, 1933.

Filed Apfil 7, 19:50

3 Sheets-Sheet Sept. 5, 1933. m l,925,848-

SLICING'MACHINE Filed April 7, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 5, 1933. A.RUBIN SLICING MACHINE y Flled April 7, 1930 3 Sheets Sheet 5 ZIG.J

Patented Sept. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE SLICIN G MACHINE Adolph Rubin, St.Louis, Mo., assignor to Hussmann-Ligouier Company, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Delaware Application April 7, 1930. Serial No. 442,097

3 Claims. (01. 146-158) Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the machine shownin Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail illustrating the mechanism forimparting reciprocatory movement to the cutting element of the machine.

In thedrawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration,merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improvedslicing machine generally, said machine comprising a suitable base 1which preferably is of inverted hollow construction, as shown in Fig. 3.At the forward side of the base 1 same is provided with inturnedextensions 2 to'which suitable feet 3 are fixed, and at the'rear'side ofsaid base a pair of outwardly extended brackets 4 are fixed (Figs. land3) which support a pan P. Each of the brackets l is provided with anupwardly extended portion 5 which contacts with a portion of the rearface .ofthe base 1, said upwardly extended bracket portion beingprovided with centering pins 6 which are inserted into apertures in therear wall of the base for the purpose of locating the bracket portionswith respect to the base; '7 designates screw-threaded fasteningdevices, one of'which is associated with the upwardly extended portionof each bracket, the screw-threaded shank portion 7' thereof beingextended through an opening in the upwardly extended bracket, portionand being screwed into a screw-threaded aperture in the rear wall of thebase. Each bracket 4 is provided with a circularportion 8 which providesa foot 9 which aids in supporting the machine.

Atthe approximate longitudinal, center of the rear wall of the base 1arecess 10 is located, in which the lower portion of a verticallydisposed cutting element orimife 11 is arranged. The recess 10 receivesa plug 12 which closes said recess at the rear thereof, and this plug isretained in place by means of screws 13 which are screwed into the rearwall of the base in such manner that the head portions thereof overlapthe plug. The plug 12 is cut away, as

indicated at 14 in Fig. 3, to provide a guideway for the cutting element11, and said plug is provided with an additional cutaway portion .15which provides space for the operationof an element which will besubsequently described 0 herein, by which the cutting element isactuated. The recess 14 formed in the plug 12 provides walls whichcontact with the cutting element at its rear face and side edges, andthe forward face of said cutting element contacts with the face 16 ofthe rear wall of the base 1. Because of this arrangement a guideway isprovided which will efiectively guide the cutting element duringvertical reciprocatory movement thereof. The rear wall of the base 1 isprovided with rearwardly extended portions 17 at opposite edges of thedepressed central portion 18 in which the plug 12 is arranged, and therear face of the central portion 18 is inclined, as shown clearly inFig. 3.

Secured to the portion 17 of the base 1 at the right-hand end of themachine when viewed from the front is a plate 19, which is provided witha horizontal flange 20 through which fastening devices 21 pass whichsecure said plate to the base 1. The plate 19 at its upper end isprovided with a laterally extended flange 22., and adjacent to the inneredge of said plate an upstanding bearing 23 is provided. Rigidlysupported by the bearing 23 is a pin 24, which extends in a directionparallel with the plate 19 and beyond same, and pivotally supported bysaid pin is a guiding member 24. The guiding member 24 comprises avertically disposed element having a guideway formed therethrough, and 9said guiding member has ears 25 formed thereon which embrace the pin 24in a manner to pro vide for pivotal movement of said guiding member withrespect to said pin. The upper end portion of the cutting element 11 isarranged in the guideway of the guiding member 24, and said cuttingelement reciprocates in said guideway when reciprocatory motion isapplied thereto.

26 designates a gauge plate which serves to regulate the thickness ofthe slices produced by the slicing machine. This plate is arranged inhorizontal alinement with the plate 19 already referred to herein at theopposite side of the cutting element 11, and as willpresentlyappear, isarranged for adjustment so that its inner edge may be moved transverselywith respect to the cutting edge 11f of the cutting element. The gaugeplate 26 is provided with a plurality of rearwardly extended cars 27,there being two pairs of these ears, and the ears of each pair beingopenings formed in the base .1 is a pair of vertically arranged rods 30,and said rods 30 at their upper ends are rigidly fixed to the ends" ofthe arms opposite to the ends thereof, which are pivotally connected tothe gauge plate. The

lower faces of the arms 28 rest on the top'face of the base 1, wherebythe elevationof the plate 26 is maintained, and also the rods 30 arerotatable to swing the outer ends of the arms 28 in an'arc of a circleand in this manner adjust the gauge platefforwardly and rearwardly withrespect to the cutting edge 11* of the cutting element 11.

Rigidly fixed to thelower ends of the rods 30 is a pair of operatingarms 31 which are pivotally connected together at their'outerends by alink 32. The link 32 is preferably curved,as shown in Fig. 1, so. as toavoid having a portion thereof located beneath the aperture 33, and 34designates a bell-crank lever which has a leg thereof pivotally attachedto an end portion of the link 32,

The bell-crank lever 34 is pivoted at 35 to the base 1 and includes anelongated operating arm 36 which extends outwardly beyond the base ofthe machine. The base 1 is provided with a plurality of spacedextensions 37 arranged in arcuate formation, and the bell-crank lever 34is provided with an element 38 which is movable into the spaces betweenthe various adjacent extensions 37 so. as t0 lock said bell-crank leveragainst accidental movement after same has been set. Also, the base 1has fixed to it a plate 39 provided with graduations with respect towhich the-operating arm 36. of the bell-crank lever 34 is moved, saidgraduations indicating the degree of movement of the operating arm 36 toobtain slices of predetermined thicknesses.

Supported beneath the top wall of the base 1 of the machine is asuitable electric motor M arranged with its armature shaft M disposedvertically, as shown'clearly in Fig. 3. The armature shaft M of themotor M has fixed thereto by means of a key 40, for instance,-an element41 (Fig. 4), said element being provided at its upper portion with'anexternally screw-threaded portion 42, and having an inclined annularface 43.

44 designates an internally screw-threaded ring which is screwed on thescrew-threaded portion 42 of the element 41, said ring being-providedwith an inclined face 45 which is arranged in opposed relation withrespect to the inclined face 43. 46 designates an annularmember whichsurrounds the element 41, said annular member 46 being provided with anannular inclined face 47, and being. provided with an internallyscrewthreaded portion; 48. Screwed into the internally screw-threadedportion 48 of the member 46 is a ring 49 which is provided with anannular inclined face 50. The annular inclined faces 43, 45, 47, and 50provide a ball raceway in which antifriction balls 51 are arranged. r r

arm 52 is extendedthrough anaperture 54 (Fig.

4) formed in;the loweriendportionof the cutting element 11, and the endsof legs of the yoke porextended parallel with and in slightly spacedwardly and rearwardlywith respect to theicarriage, and because the eyeportions of the arm tion of said arm are pivoted to a pair of upstandinglugs formed on the casing of the electric motor M. The annular member 46is provided with a forwardly extending element 55 which is circular incross-section and extends into a correspondingly shaped opening 56 inthe arr-11 52.

I A very important feature of the mechanism just described is that theelement 41 is fixed on the armature shaft M of the motor in a plane atan acute angle relative to the axis of said armature shaft, hence, whenthe armature shaft is rotated,

the element 41, and with it the ring 44, will fwobble. .This fwobblingmotion is transmitted through the anti-friction balls 51 to the annularmember46 and ring 49, and because the member 46 is connected to the arm52 through the instr'ume'ntality; of the element 55, the outer endportion of said arm 52 will be caused to rise and fall in an arc of acircle, whereby vertical reciprocatory movement will be imparted tothe 9cutting element 11. Due tothe wobbling character ofthe motion of theannular member 46 there will be slight oscillating movement between theelement 55 and the wall of the opening 56 in whichsaid element isextended, and the circular cross-sectional shape of said element andopening will permit such movement.

The base 1 of the machine is provided with a recess 57 (Fig. 3) in whicha guiding member 58 is arranged. This guiding member is preferably inthe form of a tubular element which is extended longitudinally of thebase 1 and is supported at its opposite end by suitable means, such asthe members 59 which are fixed to the base 1. Also the base 1 isprovided with a track 60 which likewise extends longitudinally of saidbase.

Supported by the guiding member 58 and the track 60 for movementlongitudinally of the machine is a carriage 61. The carriage 61 includesa tubular element 62 which embraces the guiding member 58, and alsosaidcarriage is provided with suitable shoes'63 which rest upon the topface of the track 60. When'viewed in front elevation the carriage ,61 issubstantially v hshdped (Fig. 2) and the upstanding wall 61' at theright-hand side of the'carriage is. provided with spaced apart lugs 64which support a rod 65 (Fig. 1). The rod 65 extends from front to rearof the carriage, and slidingly supported thereby is a supporting element66, said supporting element being provided with eye portions 67 throughwhich the rod extends and including a downwardly extended portion 68 anda horizontally extended portion 69, the latter of which is relation withrespect tolthe top face of the bottom wall of the carriage. 'As alreadystated, the supporting element 66 is" slidable with respect to thecarriage 61, and tracks '70 are provided at the top face of the bottomwall of the carriage to facilitate suchmovement.

Mounted for sliding movement onthe rod 65 is a follower which comprisesan arm 71.provided with eye'portions 72, through'which the rod 65 isextended, and a substantially 'L-shaped plate 73 fixedto said arm. TheL-shaped plate '73 iscomprised of a horizontally disposed portion whichis arranged parallel with and in slightly spaced relation with respectto the portion 69 of the supporting element 66 and a substantiallyvertical; plate portion formed. integral with the horizontal portion. 1The follower is providedwith a handle 74 for moving same for- 71 of thefollower are interposed between and in contact with the eye portions 6'7of the supporting element, said supporting element will be moved withsaid follower. The portion 69 of the supporting element 66 is providedwith upstanding prongs '75, and the horizontal and vertical portions ofthe L-shaped plate of the follower are provided with prongs 76 whichextend downwardly and forwardly, respectively.

The base 1 is provided with a depression 77 (Fig. 3), which is locatedbetween the portion of the base which supports the track 60 and therear, upstanding flange portion '78 of said base. Because of itslocation, the task of keeping this depression clean may be ratherdifficult. The present invention, therefore, includes the use of a stripof substantially U-shaped metal '79, which is snapped in place in thisdepression by having its edges engaged beneath the track 60 and anelement 80. Also, this strip is provided with a pair of openings 81which are arranged in registration with similar openings 33 and 82formed in the top wall of the base 1. The carriage 61 is provided with abrush comprising a downwardly extending piece of fiber 83, or othersuitable material, which is shaped to fit closely within the cavityprovided by the U-shaped strip, and as the carriage is moved back andforth with respect to the base 1, the brush 83 will move any scraps orcuttings which fall into the cavity provided by the U-shaped strip tothe openings 81-82 at opposite ends of the base 1, through which saidopenings said scraps or cuttings will fall. When it is desired to cl anand polish the U- shaped strip, same may be readily removed from itsplace in the structure by springing the edges out of engagement witheither the track 60 or the element 80, whereupon said strip may belifted out of the cavity 7'7.

In the operation of the improved slicing machine, the material to besliced is supported by the carriage 61 and said material is movedrearwardly of said carriage by the follower. If desired the materialbeing sliced may be clamped between the horizontal plate portion of thefollower and the portion 69 of the supporting element 66 during suchrearward movement of said material, or, if preferred, the material maybe moved rearwardly of the carriage by arranging the rear end thereof incontact with the vertical plate portion of the follower and moving saidfollower rearwardly. The operator grasps the handle 74 and moves thecarriage back and forth with respect to the machine, at the same timekeeping the material pressed rearwardly by forcing the follower in thatdirection, and each time the material is moved from left to right of themachine and with respect to the rapidly reciprocating cutting element, aslice is out therefrom, which slice falls on the pan P.

When it is desired to remove the cutting element 11 from the machine thefastening devices 13 may be removed and the plug 12 displaced from itsposition. The lower end portion of the cutting element may then be movedrearwardly, the guiding member 24; swinging on the pivot 24 in responseto such rearward movement of the lower portion of the cutting element,and when the cutting element has been moved to the approximate positionin which it is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, it may be moveddownwardly so as to withdraw the upper portion thereof from the guidingmember 24.

I claim:

1. A slicing machine comprising a cutting element, means for supportingsaid cutting element for straight line movement, said means including apivotally mounted guiding member located at an end of said cuttingelement, means for subjecting said cutting element to reciprocatorymovement, and a carriage movable transversely of the path of movement ofsaid cutting element for supporting material being sliced, saidpivotally mounted guiding member being fixed with respect to saidcutting element when said cutting element is subjected to reciprocatorymovement.

2. A slicing machine comprising a cutting element, means for supportingsaid cutting element for straight line movement, said means including apivotally mounted guiding member located at an end of said cuttingelement, and a second guiding member located at the opposite end of thecutting element and detachable from the machine, means for subjectingsaid cutting element to reciprocatory movement, and a carriage movabletransversely of the path of movement of said cutting element forsupporting material being sliced, said pivotally mounted guiding memberbeing fixed with respect to said cutting element when said cuttingelement is subjected to reciprocatory movement.

3. A slicing machine comprising a cutting element, means for supportingsaid cutting element for straight line movement, said means including apivotally mounted guiding member located at an end of said cuttingelement, and a channeled guiding member located at the opposite end ofthe cutting element and detachable from the machine, means forsubjecting said cutting element to reciprocatory movement, and acarriage movable transversely of the path of movement of said cuttingelement for supporting material being sliced, said pivotally mountedguiding member being fixed with respect to said cutting element whensaid cutting element is subjected to reciprocatory movement.

ADOLPH RUBIN.

